Over the weekend of November 1st – 3rd downtown Los Angeles will be taken over by one of the fastest growing conventions: Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo. For IDW’s first appearance at the show, the publisher is bringing along some very special guests and exclusives.

On Saturday November 2nd at 10:30 AM in room 308AB join Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall, Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier, and IDW President Greg Goldstein as they set the stage for IDW’s upcoming 15th year anniversary. Bring some questions, and come prepared for a lively discussion in a unique town hall format. You just might walk away with a free book! With sneak peeks, and a few tricks up their sleeves, this will not be a panel to miss!

Be sure to stop by the IDW booth (712) to pick up the Comikaze exclusive variant of Mars Attacks/Judge Dredd #3 by John McCrea featuring Stan (The Man) Lee! Along with this special $10 variant, IDW will have a library’s worth of your favorite books to stock up on! And watch the IDW Facebook and Twitter feeds for special deals on books throughout the show!

Throughout the convention the IDW booth will also host a number of great signings:

Stan Lee’s Comikaze is set to have its biggest year yet, and IDW is excited to be a part of it!

About IDW

IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE and MY LITTLE PONY; Paramount’s Star Trek; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 2000AD’s Judge Dredd; The Rocketeer; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio, and the multiple award-winning Artist’s Edition imprint.

IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot; Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Warner Brothers are producing a film based on Ashley Wood’s Lore; and Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

Seven Uber-Fans Arrive in Los Angeles to Live Together And Intern for Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo

NEW YORK – August 12, 2013 – Syfy celebrates superfan culture with Fangasm (formerly titled Fandemonium), a new docu-series that follows seven very different people whose niche uber-obsessions run the gamut from comic books and collectibles to science fiction and fantasy to cosplay and live action role playing. Living together and working together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, the cast must contend with each others oversized personalities and conflicting passions as they vie for a opportunities within Lee’s organization. Because when different passions come together – you get a real big bang. Fangasm debuts Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.

These roommates stop at nothing to prove their fan-cred to each other, debating everything from favorite superheroes, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, and even what they would do in the event of a real zombie apocalypse. And while the claws do come out, this hilarious and loveable group is ultimately bound together by a shared joy of fandom.

Over the course of the season, the eager group dives into their internships at Comikaze as it prepares for the upcoming Comikaze Expo – the comic, gaming, anime, sci-fi, fantasy horror and general pop-culture expo held each November in Los Angeles. The massive convention is a year-round business, run by Lee, Regina Carpinelli (who guides the interns as their supervisor) and Cassandra Peterson (better known as Elvira Mistress of the Dark). The pressure is on for the interns, who all have high hopes of earning an actual job with the organization. Throughout the summer, they are thrust into a myriad of assignments, both in the field and at the Comikaze Expo headquarters. They pitch comic book ideas to Lee, clean a storage space belonging to Elvira, and pull out all the stops to plan for the star-studded Comikaze launch party. Along the way they get to meet the original Mr. Sulu himself, George Takei, a truly emotional and dream moment for one of the interns.

Can’t wait for Fangasm? Coming soon, www.syfy.com (http://www.syfy.com/) will reveal exclusive videos shot by the cast from inside their house. Sound off on Twitter with the official Fangasm hashtag @FangasmSyfy and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fangasmsyfy.

Meet the cast:

ANDREW DUVALL – 27 – Valdosta, GA (Hometown) and Los Angeles, CA
Andrew always dreamed of being the Captain of the Starship Enterprise, but instead he works for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. When he’s not in his Star Trek uniform watching Star Trek marathons he can be found playing Magic: The Gathering. Sometimes he’ll do both at once. Andrew is self-aware in the best possible way, and loves making people laugh.

DANI SNOW – 26 – Burbank, CA
Dani was raised on the original Star Wars movies and the works of Tolkien. Reading Harry Potter and watching Lord of the Rings did not make her popular, but after high school she blossomed socially, and gravitated towards fellow geeks. She’s played a pirate at a Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and tours the convention circuit with The Damsels of Dorkington, a comedy troupe. She now spends her days doing special effects makeup on short films, performing comedy whenever she can and using her Harry Potter knowledge at her job to help identify copyrighted material online for the franchise.

KRISTEN HACKETT – 23 – New York, NY

Kristin is a single and sexy comic book fangirl living in New York City. She loves that the city she lives in is also the dwelling place of her favorite superheroes, namely Spider-Man and Nightwing. Her three passions in life are blogging geek culture, comics and fashion. With All-American good looks she is often hit on by jocks and meatheads; however, she’s only attracted to super dorky and nerdy guys. Her passion for comics and graphic novels is evidenced by her massive collection and commitment to travel the country to attend every comic convention possible, which she covers for her websites. She admits she is a hoarder when it comes to collectibles, and she was even compelled to create a giant spreadsheet for her collection of 600+ graphic novels. The obsessions are only overshadowed by her closet full of custom cosplay outfits. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kristin enjoys designing and creating her own costumes.

MIKE REED – 22 – Ybor City District of Tampa (Hometown) and New York, NY

Mike considers himself the ultimate comic book and superhero fan. He loves all DC comics and wants to live his life like Superman. He’s an active cosplayer and founded his own group called Team Avalanche, making amazing costumes and putting on shows across Florida. Even though he’s a nerd, he has quite the charm on the ladies. By night he will go to the club with a confident swagger, and by day he will sport spandex. Though he just received an amazing promotion at his job, he’s willing to quit for the opportunity to be an intern for Stan Lee’s Comikaze.

MOLLY McISAAC – 24 – Soldotna, AK (Hometown) and Seattle, WA

Molly is determined to show the world that not all fangirls are “the comic book guy.” A self-proclaimed fashionista and cosplay queen, she blasts away nerd stereotypes by being incredibly social and fond of the nightlife. Steadfast in her feminist beliefs, Molly is often labeled a “difficult woman” or “kind of crazy,” but it’s just because she’s incredibly confident and not afraid to be loud if she doesn’t agree with someone or something. This makes dating difficult – especially since she only likes successful, professional geeks! But her social views do not mean her geeky interests fall to the wayside: she’s particularly fond of anime, comic books, cosplay, video games, and LARPing. With incredibly sharp wit, an army of fanboys, and a secret belief that she’s more intelligent than most people, Molly is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

PAUL PERKINS – 22 – Sacramento, CA

Getting this internship would be a double win for Paul. In one fell swoop he’d have a job and move out of his parent’s house. It’s every true nerd’s dream! Paul is passionate about all things comic books, sci-fi and Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments. He is a huge film buff with a massive collection of over 2,000 movies. While Paul is opinionated and outspoken, when it comes to girls he crawls right back into his shell. He lacks confidence around women, which he says is part of the reason he hasn’t had a girlfriend in over four years – that and the fact he likes to dress up as a Marvel superhero.

SALVATORE FRINGO – 25 – Amsterdam, NY

Salvatore is not what you’d call a shy geek. He’s loud and vocal about what he loves, and what he loves are superheroes. While he’s a huge fan of the heroes of the Marvel Universe, he doesn’t discriminate against any characters because of their publisher. He may not be a gifted engineering genius like his comic book idol Tony Stark, but he does teach kids how to create their own superheroes, all while he dresses like Iron Man. He thinks of himself as a new breed of geek because he’s “attractive, funny, cocky…but with a sweet side.” He’s hoping that sweet side will be sweet enough to land him his real life Pepper Potts.

Fangasm is produced by 495 productions with Executive Producers SallyAnn Salsano and Joel Zimmer.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com (http://www.syfy.com/)), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

On September 15-16, 2012, Los Angeles was home to Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, the joint venture between the successful Comikaze Expo from the previous year, and the legendary Marvel creator. Following an unexpected but successful show in 2011, I had a feeling that Stan’s involvement would only heighten publicity and draw more fans, and I was happy to see the massive crowds that surrounded the Convention Center on that Saturday morning.

I’m not sure how to attribute Comikaze’s success in a LA market that has seen repeated attempts at a comic convention in downtown met with constant failure, but co-founder Regina Carpinelli utilized social media to its fullest in spreading the word about the show. From Livingsocial deals to advertisements in the paper, to spreading the words in schools to attract kids and twitter, Carpinelli’s efforts were met with a record number crowds in their sophomore show.

The show itself was a lot bigger than its inaugural year. Moving from the underground parking lot to the main floor, the show was definitely more spacious. With artist alley scattered throughout the floor, plenty of space for vendors, along with a huge stage for Q and A’s from special guests and even a huge space towards the back for a zombie obstacle course, Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo had something for everyone. With the amazing progress from year 1 to year 2, I can only see a bright future ahead for Comikaze. In time, I can see it perhaps becoming one of the premiere comic cons in the US. And now, here are some pics from this year’s show!

Stan Lee’s Comikaze COSPLAY Hotties Featuring Jessica Nigri As The Joker & So Much MoreA phenomenal collection of beautiful women dressed as some of your favorite video game and comic book heroines. All were at the Los Angeles Convention Center enjoying Stan Lee’s Comikaze. DISCLAIMER: This article was submitted by a volunteer contributor who has agreed to our code of conduct.

Thanks MIKE ROLLERSON!!! http://pic.twitter.com/n6KwdqVhJessica Nigri

silvaniart: Comikaze- 626, The Naughty Wonderhurricaine

#cosplay #comikaze #banethunderhorselives

Red Sonja#redsonja #comikaze #comikazeexpo #cosplayMichel Murguia

As Rice & Louis would call it before and after the fire nation attacked LOLOL apparently my diablo cosplay looked like to that of a firebender haha and for laughs Rice shopped in fire! Thanks it looks pretty bad A ;D #comikaze #cosplay #makeup #marvel #blizzard #game #comics #avengers #captainamerica #xmen #x-23 #femalemonk #diablo3yuukayuu

Independent publishers – Blacktop Brigade at Stan Lee’s ComikazeI spoke with the creator of the independent comic book Blacktop Brigade about how he started and came up with the idea of combining baske…

Companies will co-exhibit at massive SoCal pop culture convention fronted by the first name in comics, Stan Lee!

Los Angeles, CA (September 14, 2012) – Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo will be the place to be as Archaia Entertainment and Meteor Entertainment announced their plans to exhibit there during the weekend of Sept. 15-16, 2012 at the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles! The companies will have plenty of free goodies to give away; Archaia graphic novels available for sale; a multi-player, playable demo of Meteor’s upcoming HAWKEN FPS mech game; and autograph signings with some very cool talent!

Booth #1529 should prove to be a popular meeting place! The Archaia half of the booth will feature many of the company’s popular hardcover graphic novels for sale, including Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 1, Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse, Return of the Dapper Men Special Edition, and more! Several Archaia creators will be on hand to autograph books and postcards, including Heather Nuhfer (writer, Fraggle Rock), Joe LeFavi (writer, Fraggle Rock), Matt Marblo (artist, Spera Vol. 1), Mike Kennedy (writer, Bleedout), Moro Rogers (writer/artist, the upcoming City in the Desert), Paul Morrissey (writer, Fraggle Rock), R. J. Ryan (writer, Syndrome, the upcoming The Joyners in 3D), Tim Beedle (writer, Fraggle Rock), Tom Pinchuk (writer, Hybrid Bastards!), Trevor Roth (creator, Days Missing), and Yehudi Mercado (writer/artist, the upcoming Pantalones, TX). There will also be a lot of cool giveaways, including an exclusive Hawken mini-poster, badge ribbons, and a very limited supply of Archaia’s recent Free Comic Book Day hardcover!

On the Meteor Entertainment side of the booth, get your hands on Adhesive Games’ first title HAWKEN. This first-person mech shooter has created quite a buzz as one of the most anticipated free-to-play titles coming to PC this December 12th 2012. This is also the last place to register to play the game before Alpha 2 testing begins. Adhesive Co-founder and Creative Director, Khang Le, and Lead Concept Artist, John Park, will be on hand to sign the 3rd in a 4-poster series at the booth as well. Be sure to stop by and pilot a mech this weekend!

“We are happy to return for Comikaze’s second year and look forward to engaging with Archaia fans and introducing ourselves to new ones!” said Mel Caylo, Archaia Marketing Manager. “Plus, we are partnering with our friends at Meteor, who are sure to awe conventiongoers with a playable demo of their upcoming, highly anticipated video game, HAWKEN. Archaia is producing a companion graphic novel to the game, which makes this team-up serendipitous!”

“Meteor is very excited to get HAWKEN before the fans at Comikaze. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with a broad audience,” said Shannon Gerritzen, PR Manager at Meteor Entertainment, publisher of HAWKEN. Gerritzen went on to say, “We are honored to be partnered with Archaia not only for Comikaze but also for the release of the HAWKEN original graphic novel, coming in 2013.”

For more information about Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, including information on how to buy tickets, visit comikazeexpo.com.

About Archaia Entertainment, LLC
Archaia is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 75 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Bolivar, Rust, Gunnerkrigg Court, Old City Blues, Awakening, The Killer, Tumor, Syndrome, Artesia, and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year by Ain’t it Cool News, Comic Related, and Graphic Policy, which honored the publisher two years in a row. Archaia was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations and two Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Anthology. So far in 2012, Archaia has been further honored with six Harvey Award nominations, two Harvey Awards, six Eisner nominations and three Eisner Awards, and both Gold and Silver awards from ForeWord Reviews. In addition to publications, Archaia has successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media. For more information, visit the Archaia website at www.archaia.com.

About Adhesive Games
Adhesive Games is an independent game studio located in Los Angeles, CA founded by Creative Director Khang Le, formerly of Project Offset. HAWKEN, the studio’s premiere title, is a free-to-play mech shooter scheduled for open beta 12.12.12 (December 12, 2012). For more information about Adhesive visit www.adhesivegames.com.

About Meteor Entertainment
Based in Seattle, WA, Meteor Entertainment is a newly formed videogame publisher focused on successfully publishing F2P games globally, with an emphasis on compelling content and setting the standard for customer service and community engagement. Meteor’s 12/12/12 launch of HAWKEN, created by Adhesive Games, will be its first tent pole title. To learn more about Meteor Entertainment visit www.meteor-ent.com and be sure to check out www.playhawken.com.